Assignment on Applied Personality Project

Applied Personality Project
Author’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date

Component 1: Summary and Analysis of Popular Media Article or Current Event
Personal psychology and its understanding are incomplete without a careful evaluation of the
personality disorders that are identified among individuals across the globe. The article chosen for
this section focusses on a deeper understanding of the relationship between Borderline Personality
Disorder and childhood trauma. A recent article published at https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-
11-borderline-personality-disorder-strongest-link.html, shares insight that individuals who report
borderline personality disorders are thirteen times more inclined to have gone through a childhood
trauma as compared to adults. The claims made in the article are based on the research conducted by
the members of the University of Manchester. Their recent studies and analysis carried out on 5000
people across the globe helped in reaching the conclusion that personality disorders are traced back
to childhood traumas or experiences that an individual had gone through.
The article is relevant since it is a new research and conclusions are drawn based on recent
theoretical frameworks that help in understanding personality disorders in a closer manner. The
relationship between the article and personal psychology is high as the article shares insight into the
causes and roots of the major borderline personality disorders that are traced among human beings.
Personality disorders are a strong part of personality psychology and help in the comprehension of
theories and mental illnesses in the foremost manner. The article emphasizes on the fact that children
who face physical neglect or physical abuse are the most likely to observe such disorders by 48%
and 36% respectively.
Borderline personality disorder is a condition wherein people find it difficult to control their
emotions and tend to become highly impulsive in decision-making. The individuals who suffer from
such disorders are more likely to indulge in substance abuse and cause harm to themselves in one
way or another. This is the primary reason why very few cases of borderline personality disorders
have come to light until now. The research has made attempts to shed light on the primary causes of

the disorder which shall further assist in better understanding the varied concepts and theories under
personality psychology today.
The key conclusions that were drawn by the article specify that the borderline personality
disorder is not a very clear term to describe the condition that such people tend to go through. It was
recorded that emotionally unstable personality disorder is a more likely term that should be used to
describe this disorder or mental state that people go through. Apart from this, it was also concluded
that the research will help in devising better care for people with this kind of mental state so that
BDP can be managed in a more appropriate manner.
The relevance of the article to personality psychology is thus verified since it helps the care
givers in understanding the personality of a person in a better way and gives them ideas on the best
practices that can be developed to help such people. The article offers information on the issues that
earlier surrounded personality disorder and offers an explanation on the actual cause and offers ways
to treat it as well. The questions that still remain unanswered after the research conducted by the
professionals is to gain information if the later experiences in life can actually help the individuals in
getting better and what kind of solutions can be developed to reduce the borderline personality
disorders in the foremost manner. Lastly, it also does not account the biology of the participants or
the psychological treatments that they might have received over time (Addelman, 2019).
Component 2: Research Article Application
The purpose of the research is to find out if the dynamics of a family tends to lead to eating
disorders among children and the overall consequences of the dynamics on the resilience. The paper
experiments with a mediation model to analyze if a mediation model can improvise the resilience
skills between the two variables. The main idea behind the research was to clarify the process by
which family dynamics tends to have an impact on the eating disorders that are identified among the

children and the family both. The investigation of the research is conducted through the use of a
quantitative research methodology. The research includes the use of three major questionnaires that
are circulated among participants to judge the eating attitude, adaptability of the family and the
resilience scales for the adults who participated in the study. The participants chosen for the research
were 143 young women who belonged to different age groups. The choice of women was done since
the presence of eating disorders is primarily identified in this gender group. The survey was
formalized with the use of an online survey platform and the link to the same was then sent to
women for completion (Leys, Kotsou, Goemanne and Fossion, 2017).
The conclusions of the research are appropriate. The researchers have paid high attention to
detail and collaborated successfully in making suitable claims to every hypothesis that was taken.
Adequate amount of information is provided and emphasis was very clear and to the point. It takes
into account mathematical variables to derive the ideal results to prove the hypothesis which is
definitely achieved by the end of the research. The findings were neither under-emphasized or over
emphasized in the research conduct.
The key strengths of the study are the topic of research. Eating disorders have become a
common phenomenon and their study is one step ahead in the direction to find out the primary
reasons of the disorder in the first place, so that an appropriate solution for the disorder can be
devised in the days to come. While there exist several strengths of the study, a number of limitations
were also identified. Firstly, the sample size was very less and the restriction on gender is not
accounted to be a suitable measure to derive appropriate results. Apart from this, the researchers also
claim that a specific diagnosis could not be achieved through the research and the study of eating
disorders will have to be continued with the use of other models to achieve the foremost results in the
field of study.

The research has contributed towards the theoretical understanding of the personality
psychology to a large extent. The theories and literature included in the research has improved my
understanding of the theories. The application of the theories and comparative analysis of theory and
practice further improved my capability to comprehend experimental studies in a better manner. It
has made me understand the varied complexities that are associated with personality psychology and
disorders and the amount of work that is still required to be done in this field to achieve the right
results and make the society a better place to live in. Furthermore, the research adds value to my
understanding of social learning, dispositional perspectives and even biological theories that are
associated with personality psychology.
This study also revolves around understanding a specific disorder. While in the news article
in component one, the focus was being laid on border personality disorders, the journal article in
component two discusses the role of eating disorders in our lives. Both the disorders find their roots
in the family history of the people who may be suffering from such problems. Thus, it was realized
that the influence of family dynamics proves to be a key to the psychological well-being of every
individual and healthy dynamics can lead to improved futures for people in different parts of the
world.
The conclusions of the research definitely align with the message and learnings achieved
from the article that was analyzed in the previous section. Both the articles showcased the vast role
of family dynamics in shaping the personality of an individual and how the same can be altered to
achieve a better lifestyle. It was also learnt that both the researchers were still far behind in finding a
reasonable amount of treatment plan for the disorders and the field of personality psychology
requires higher number of efforts in the direction to find the right causes and help families improve
their actions from the very beginning and reduce the chances of such disorders from infecting our
society.

Component 3: Connection to Personality Theory
This section will discuss three major theories that were learnt in the study of psychology. Their
relevance will then be discussed in light of the media article that was researched and added as part of
the study in component 1. Each of the theories helps in the understanding of the subject of discussion
in the news article and elaborates on borderline personality disorders. The theories that were chosen
for discussion are social learning theory, behavioral theory and cognitive theory. These are discussed
in the following few sections.
Theory 1: Social Learning Theory
The social learning theory can be understood as the leading approach used to understand the
learning process and the social behavioral patterns of humans today. It also recognizes the influence
of the environment and the behaviors of others on a specific individual. Social Learning Theory
states that human beings tend to imitate the behavior of others and reflect them in their day to day
functioning. The theory also includes the role of rewards and punishment by parents or elders in
influencing specific behaviors among people. Thus, the emotional reactions of a person and the
attitude can be judged based on the environment that they live (Nabavi, 2012).
The popular media article that was chosen in the above sections also shares insight into the
emergence of disorders among human beings who have witnessed trauma in their childhood. The
article sheds light on the influence of different kinds of traumas on the development of an individual.
This is directly relative to this theory as well. The social learning theory stresses on the influence of
the environment on the future of a person and the media article showcases the negative influence of
childhood trauma. The theory supports the media article and justifies the claims that were made by
the researchers of that news article. Social Learning Theory supports the influence of the
environment in the learning processes. If an individual is unable to receive the requisite amount of

support from the family and friends at the right age, their future is influenced and their behavior is
altered.
The value of the social learning theory in understanding the personality is very high. It is a
very clear theoretical approach that includes the sources of learning of an individual. It further helped
in understanding why the influence of the childhood traumas and environment is so high among
children or adults. It offers a clear explanation for the borderline personality disorder.
Theory 2: Behavioral Theory
The Behavioral Theory of personality psychology states that the response that is given by an
individual to the environment is what shapes the actions. It highlights the importance of conditioning
in human beings and the growing need to analyze the behaviors from that perspective. It is true to
say that behaviorism is known and understood by the examples that are set in by our predecessors or
the individuals who influence our lives on a day to day basis from the very beginning. Thus, the
interaction of a person can be observed through the behavior, attitude and the way an interaction with
the environment is done by the person (Davis, Campbell, Hildon and Hobbs, 2014).
The Borderline Personality Disorder news article that was taken into account for this research
also specifies that the identification of this disorder in a person was done after observing the
interaction of the same person with the environment and the behavior held while the interaction is in
process. Thus, the behavioral theory has helped in getting a closer understanding on why the
personality behavior of a person is judged to know about the actual psychological stability of a
person. A normal person might interact with the objects, people and the environment in a normal
manner but a person with a disorder can indicate certain specific features that help in diagnosing that
there is a problem that is left untreated.

The theory supports the news article and has added value to the understanding of the
personality of a person. When observing the interaction of a person with borderline personality
disorder with the environment, specific traits can be accounted and noted to know if it is actually a
disorder or not. It was then realized why the highlight of the behavior of the person with the
environment was stated in the first place and included while explaining the discovery of this type of
a disorder in the first place.
The environmental analysis through the behavioral approach can further assist psychologists
in altering the environment of a person with a specific problem and help them achieve more stability
before they can be treated for a particular disorder. Thus, the behavioral theory is also relevant to the
article and adds high value in the understanding of personality psychology and the attitudes of a
person in the most appropriate manner. It further helped in explaining the subject of the disorder and
gaining a deeper knowledge about the interrelationship between the environment and the personality
of a person.
Theory 3: Cognitive Theory
According to Carillo (2010), cognitive theory observes that the knowledge of a person is
acquired through the rigorous process of observing other individuals in the environment, through the
media channels and by the different experiences that he/she may account over time. The cognitive
theory is one of the most widely accepted theories in personality psychology as it assists in gaining
more insight into the nature, behavior or attitude of a person. The cognitive theory helps in tracing
the causes of a particular behavior by a person and thus helps the psychologists in treating a person.
Over time, it was noted that all theories of personality psychology are interrelated in one way
or another. With the use of the theories, any specific subject in psychology can be easily understood
and comprehended. The same is the case with the news article that was chosen in component. The

news article specifies the increasing role of childhood traumas on the borderline personality
disorders among adults today. The cognitive theory also suggests that the interactions and
communications done by a person in their life span tends to mold the character of a person over time.
If a person showcases signs of distress, the causes can be traced back to childhood traumas or the
existing environment in which he/she may be living in.
The theory definitely supports the information that was stated in the news article. The
cognitive theory has a direct relationship to the understanding of the borderline personality disorder
as several characteristics of both are common in nature. The ability of the researchers to reach the
conclusion on the possession of this disorder among some people was derived from the information
that they attained from analyzing people, their behavior, their environment and the former
environment in which they grew up. Thus, the value of the cognitive theory in understanding the
personality of a person is very high and must continue to play a strong role.
Component 4: Personal Relevance
The material of the article was relevant in my life since it helped me in knowing more about
the potential causes of certain types of behaviors. I have come across people who tend to showcase
strange behaviors and that had never made much of a difference in my outlook towards them;
however, as more and more understanding of the personality psychology is gained through articles
like these, I have been able to know about the root cause of the problem and help people in
identifying their problem as well.
Through the personality theories and the research that was conducted for the media article, I
learnt that the need to consider the different environments in which people are brought up is
important before they can be judged. Every individual is different and may have certain influences in
their lives that could cause damage to their psychological well-being. It is important to give them the

benefit of the doubt and help them in changing their behaviors today and become a better person.
The article, the theories and the information attained has definitely changed my old opinions and it
made me realize that people are the results of their circumstances. It has helped me become an
improved person and given me a new perspective to look at the world in general. I have come to
realize that often people do not have a choice in what happens in their lives. They make the best of
their circumstances and try to have a stable mind set. It is the responsibility of the people around
them to make them feel welcome so they can share their thoughts and know how they can be better
in the future.
As a person I formulate the environment for some people while in other cases, I am the
family that other people are relying on. It is surely my responsibility to offer a more comfortable
environment for my friends and family to function in. I have also come to understand that the family
characteristics can be improved if enough number of actions are put into focus. A different outlook is
all that is needed. Constant communication and interaction with family members can protect them
from harm that may be inflicted by the world. Furthermore, the role of parents is very crucial in the
overall development of a child from the short term and long-term perspective both. The theories have
made me realize the need to spread awareness about the same and inculcate the idea of a healthy
family not only from the physical health perspective but also the psychological perspective.
The practical application will be done through changes in the family life first of all and then
sharing the ideas within friends so that they can change their family lifestyle too. This would help in
more psychological stability achievement and help family and friends know what they can do to help
their loves ones. It has taught me that every action is a consequence of a reaction and an event in life.
The practical value achieved in understanding personality theory is that protecting children is very
important to give them a better future. The practical value is also the importance of a healthy
childhood to be a healthy adult. By healthy the meaning is more of psychological nature.

The primary concern that was held with the personality research, theories and the article was
that although psychologists collects a lot of data and are able to find the source of a problem;
however, there still exist a large number of cases where there are practically no solutions to heal a
person completely or give them the opportunity to be better. Although many adults tend to find the
problems that they faced in their childhood and make concentrated efforts towards using their
knowledge to overcome the psychological difficulties, but there are still a high number of unreported
cases that must be highlighted to help others find a suitable solution in the long run. Lastly, there are
not many researches conducted on recording the achievements of psychologists in treating patients
with a specific type of disorder. There should be more case studies to help people in knowing about
the best ways that family or friends can be helped and a difference in their lives can be made.
Through this it is estimated that the number of disorders can be reduced.

References
Addelman, M. (2019). Borderline Personality Disorder Has Strongest Link to Childhood Trauma.
Medical Express. [online]. Available at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-11-borderline-
personality-disorder-strongest-link.html
Carillo, K. D. (2010). Social Cognitive Theory in IS Research – Literature Review, Criticism and
Research Agenda. Toulouse Business School.
Davis, R., Campbell, R., Hildon, Z. and Hobbs, L. (2014). Theories of Behaviour and Behaviour
Change Across the Social and Behavioural Sciences: A Scoping Review. Health Psychology
Review. Vol 9(3).
Leys, C., Kotsou, L., Goemanne, M. and Fossion, P. (2017). The Influence of Family Dynamics on
Eating Disorders and Their Consequences on Resilience: A Mediation Model. American
Journal of Family Therapy. Vol 45.
Nabavi, R. T. (2012). Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Learning Theory.
University of Science and Culture.